Premier League chaos live: Liverpool edge City as Haaland blanks at Anfield

Liverpool squeeze past Man City in a wild Anfield showdown, Salah delivers, Haaland misfires – and the title race just exploded. Catch all the football results today.

Kick-off! As of today, 2026-02-28, the pitch is on fire... The football results today have flipped the Premier League race on its head. Under the Anfield lights, Liverpool beat Manchester City 2-1 in a furious, breathless classic that had everything: Mohamed Salah back in ruthless mode, Erling Haaland shockingly quiet, and VAR right in the middle of the drama.

Liverpool struck first. In the 19th minute, a slick move down the right saw Trent Alexander-Arnold whip in a trademark low cross, Darwin Núñez stepped over it, and Mohamed Salah smashed a left-footed finish past Ederson into the far corner. Anfield went absolutely wild – and you could almost feel the title race tilting in real time.

City, though, never die quietly. After a spell of patient possession, Kevin De Bruyne finally found a gap. In the 38th minute he clipped a wicked ball over the top, Erling Haaland bullied his way between defenders, and when Alisson could only parry, Phil Foden arrived to lash in the rebound for 1-1. That was Foden at full venom – clean hit, no chance for the keeper.

The story of the night, weirdly, wasn’t just the goals – it was the superstar showdown up front. Haaland had one of those haunting games. He had a huge chance on 52 minutes, sliding in onto a De Bruyne cutback, but somehow dragged his effort wide of the near post. A striker who usually needs half a chance suddenly looked human. Liverpool’s centre-backs doubled him, dragged him wide, and bullied him in the air. For once, the Norwegian cyborg was a flop on the big stage.

On the other side, Salah looked like he’d drunk pure electricity. He kept drifting into the half-spaces, picking up the ball between the lines, twisting Rúben Dias and John Stones inside out. Just after the hour mark, he turned architect. In the 63rd minute, Salah carried the ball from midfield, skipped past Rodri, teased Dias, and slid a perfect through ball to Darwin Núñez, who coolly slotted past Ederson for 2-1. Ice-cold finish, and a massive redemption moment for Núñez after weeks of criticism.

Then came the flashpoint everyone’s screaming about online. In the 79th minute, City thought they’d equalised. De Bruyne whipped in a wicked free-kick, Haaland battled in the air, and the ball dropped to Bernardo Silva, who volleyed it in. But after a long, painful VAR check, the ref ruled that Haaland had tugged Virgil van Dijk’s shirt in the build-up. Goal disallowed. City players furious, Guardiola raging on the touchline, Anfield roaring like the decision itself was a late winner.

From there, Liverpool dug in. Alexis Mac Allister threw himself into every tackle, Wataru End? closed passing lanes, and Alisson redeemed his first-half spill with a huge late save from a Foden curler on 90+3. When the final whistle blew, Liverpool’s bench exploded onto the pitch – they knew how big that was.

So what does this do to the title picture? It’s massive. With this win, Liverpool leapfrog City in the table and crank the pressure on the rest of the pack. City suddenly look vulnerable, with questions again about their depth and their total reliance on Haaland’s goals. Liverpool, meanwhile, look like a side that can grind, suffer, and still find magic through Salah when it matters the most.

What does this mean for the title race? Liverpool’s three points at Anfield shove them right into the driver’s seat, while City are left chasing and looking over their shoulders at the chasing pack. For the full live picture of who’s up, who’s crumbling, and who’s clinging to European spots, hit the live table here: Click here for the live standings

Elsewhere across Europe, the football results today delivered more storylines. In La Liga, Jude Bellingham once again showed why he’s the crown jewel of Real Madrid. In a 3-1 home win, Bellingham scored Madrid’s second with a clever late run into the box, side-footing calmly into the corner after Vinícius Júnior’s cutback. Earlier, Rodrygo had opened the scoring with a sharp finish, while Vinícius sealed it with a solo goal on the break. Bellingham was pure class – dictating tempo, pressing hard, and popping up in all the right spaces. Total hero performance.

Over in Ligue 1, Kylian Mbappé had a quieter night than usual in PSG’s gritty 1-0 win. The only goal actually came from Ousmane Dembélé, who curled in a beauty from the edge of the box after a quick one-two with Vitinha. Mbappé did win the free-kick that led to a big chance for Marquinhos and created chaos with his pace, but by his standards, this was a frustrating night – a couple of half-chances, a few heavy touches, and no goal to his name. Still, PSG grabbed the points, and that’s all that will matter in the title race.

From a young reporter’s seat, here’s the honest take: Liverpool looked like a team built for big nights, and City looked strangely one-dimensional. Guardiola’s side still tried to pass teams to death, but without Haaland firing, they lacked a killer edge. Liverpool, meanwhile, had bite, chaos, and that old Anfield aura back. Núñez might never be the smoothest striker on the planet, but when he’s running channels like that and finishing clinically, he gives defenders nightmares.

And Salah? This felt like a statement. For anyone daring to say he’s on the decline – watch this game back. The touch, the power, the decision-making, the composure in the box: pure top-tier. In contrast, Haaland’s body language told its own story – arms out, frustrated, barking at teammates. You know he’ll come back hungry, but tonight belonged to the Egyptian King.

The ripple effect is huge. Managers will wake up tomorrow looking at that league table and feeling the pressure. One more slip from City and suddenly they’re not just chasing Liverpool – they’re in a scrap with Arsenal, Spurs, and whoever else fancies a late surge. Champions League places, golden boot races, and even survival battles all feel tighter after a night like this.

So don’t just scroll past these football results today – this could be the night we look back on as the moment the Premier League title race swung for good.

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